Christ's Love Surpasses Knowledge

[KenH]

"To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." Ephesians 3:19

That eminent saint, the Apostle Paul, who had been in the third heaven, and there saw glorious sights, and heard unspeakable words, though he exhausted human language to set forth the surpassing excellency of the love of Christ, comes at last to this point - "It passeth knowledge." Indeed, and so it must pass knowledge. Is it not infinite? What measure can be assigned to the love of Christ? If Christ be God, and as such the equal of the Father, his love is as infinite as he is.

Our love is the love of the creature, but the love of God is as great as Deity. It is as infinite as the self-existent I Am. It must needs therefore pass knowledge. You may wonder sometimes—and it is a wonder that will fill heaven itself with anthems of eternal praise—how such a glorious Christ as this can ever look down from heaven upon such creeping worms of the earth, upon such sinners who have provoked him over and over again by their misdeeds. That this exalted Christ, in the height of his glory, can look down from sinless heaven, his dwelling-place, on such poor, miserable, wretched creatures as we is the mystery that fills angels with astonishment.

Yet it is the glory of Christ thus to love. It is his special glory to take his saints to heaven and there be witnesses of his glory and partakers of it. Therefore, because we are such crawling reptiles, because we are such undeserving creatures, because we are so utterly unworthy of the least notice from him, are we to put away all this matchless love from us, and say, "Can Christ love one like me? Can the glorious Son of God from heaven his dwelling-place cast an eye of pity and compassion, love and tenderness upon one like me, who can scarcely at times bear with myself; who see and feel myself one of the vilest of the vile, and the worst of the worst? Oh, what must I be in the sight of the glorious Son of God?"

Yet, he says, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." (Jeremiah 31:3) This love has breadths and lengths unknown. It has depths unplumbed and heights unscaled. Its breadth exceeds all human span; its length outvies all creature line; its depth surpasses all finite measure; and its height excels even angelic understanding.

This is the very reason why this love is so adapted to us. We want a love like this; a love to spread itself over us, to come down to our lowest depths; a love that can land us safe in heaven. A love short of this would be no love at all. We should exhaust it by our sins if this love were not what it is here represented. Long ago we should have out-sinned this love, and drained it dry by our ingratitude, rebellion, and misdoing. Yet because it is what it is, love so wondrous, so deep, so long, so broad, and so high, because it is what it is, it is suitable to every want and woe.

- J.C. Philpot, Through Baca's Vale, December 20

 

[Ascetic X]

Joseph Charles Philpot (1802 – 1869) was known as “The Seceder”. He resigned from the Church of England in 1835 and became a Strict & Particular Baptist.

After becoming a Strict & Particular Baptist, he became the Editor of the Gospel Standard magazine and served in that capacity for twenty years.

Educated at Oxford University, he was elected a fellow of Worcester College, and appeared to have a brilliant scholastic career before him. But he was brought into solemn concern spiritually and the Lord led him into the ministry. He first preached in the Established Church at Stadhampton (Oxfordshire).

In 1835, however, he was constrained, for the truth's sake, to sever his connection with the Church of England and to resign his curacy and his fellowship. The letter to the provost stating his reasons was published and went into several editions.

Philpots letter of resignation from the Church of England

The same year, he was baptized by John Warburton at Allington (Wilts). The rest of his life was spent ministering among the Strict Baptists. For 26 years, he held a joint pastorate at Stamford (Lines) and Oakham (Rutland). In addition for over twenty years, he was editor of "The Gospel Standard", where many of his sermons first appeared.

"My desire is to exalt the grace of God; to proclaim salvation alone through Jesus Christ; to declare the sinfulness, helplessness and hopelessness of man in a state of nature; to describe the living experience of the children of God in their trials, temptations, sorrows, consolations and blessings."

 

[Van]

Beware of those who see quite clearly the faults of others, such as the Church of England, and do not see the faults of their own doctrines.

The Baptist Separatists, left the Church of England, in the 1600's, citing at least a dozen doctrinal fallacies, but were General Baptists, not Particular Baptists.

Being right about some or even many things, does NOT mean the person is right about all theological things.

Ephesians 3:19 NASB
and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

To know the love of Christ does NOT mean to understand the gospel and the demonstrated love of Jesus by dying for the unjust. Rather the phase here means to be known by Christ and to know Christ, which is our condition in Christ, and that condition surpasses anything we may have known about Christ.

 

[KenH]

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,.... The love of Christ to his own, to his church and people, is special and peculiar; free and Sovereign; as early as his Father's love, and is durable and unchangeable; the greatest love that ever was heard of; it is matchless and unparalleled; it is exceeding strong and affectionate, and is wonderful and surprising: the instances of it are, his engaging as a surety for them; his espousing both their persons and their cause; his assumption of their nature; his dying in their room and stead; his payment of their debts, atoning for their sins, and bringing in for them an everlasting righteousness; his going to prepare a place for them in heaven; his intercession for them there; his constant supply of all their wants, and the freedom and familiarity he uses them with. The saints have some knowledge of this love, some tastes of it; their knowledge is a feeling and experimental one, fiducial and appropriating, and what influences their faith, and love, and cheerful obedience, but it is but imperfect; though the knowledge they have of it is supereminent, it exceeds all other knowledge, yet this love passes knowledge; not only the knowledge of natural men, who know nothing of it, but the...knowledge of saints themselves...and especially it is so as to some instances of it, such as the incarnation of Christ, his becoming poor who was Lord of all, being made sin, and a curse, and suffering, the just for the unjust. Now the apostle prays, that these saints might know more of this love.

- excerpt from John Gill's Bible commentary on Ephesians 3:19

 

[Ascetic X]

Beware of those who see quite clearly the faults of others, such as the Church of England, and do not see the faults of their own doctrines.

The Baptist Separatists, left the Church of England, in the 1600's, citing at least a dozen doctrinal fallacies, but were General Baptists, not Particular Baptists.
Being right about some or even many things, does NOT mean the person is right about all theological things.

I know of no one who is “right about all theological things.”

You speak of the Separatists of the 1600s. Philpot resigned from the Church of England in 1835 and became a Strict & Particular Baptist.

• John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, former Anglican priests, are credited with initiating the Baptist movement, in 1609, with Smyth influenced by Anabaptists in Holland to believe in adult baptism.
• Separation of Church and State: Early Baptists were pioneers in advocating for the separation of church and state, demanding freedom to worship as Scripture directed.

Types of Baptist Separatists

• General Baptists: Believed in a general atonement (not Calvinist).
• Particular Baptists: Held to Calvinist, or particular, election.
• Separate Baptists (18th Century): Emerged during the Great Awakening in the American colonies, focusing on personal spiritual experience, often practicing more than two ordinances (e.g., foot washing, laying on of hands).

Key Beliefs and Practices

• Congregationalism: Each church was independent, allowing for individual theological determination.
• Religious Freedom: Advocated for full religious liberty, not merely toleration.
• Distinct Lifestyle: Early Separatist Baptists often practiced nonconformity to "the world," with some later branches emphasizing strict separation from both non-believers and other Christians who did not hold to similar standards.

Legacy

While early Separatists often faced exile or imprisonment (like Helwys), their movement persisted and grew significantly, particularly in the American South, and forms the basis for many modern Baptist denominations.

 

[Van]

I know of no one who is “right about all theological things.”

You speak of the Separatists of the 1600s. Philpot resigned from the Church of England in 1835 and became a Strict & Particular Baptist.

• John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, former Anglican priests, are credited with initiating the Baptist movement, in 1609, with Smyth influenced by Anabaptists in Holland to believe in adult baptism.
• Separation of Church and State: Early Baptists were pioneers in advocating for the separation of church and state, demanding freedom to worship as Scripture directed.

Types of Baptist Separatists

• General Baptists: Believed in a general atonement (not Calvinist).
• Particular Baptists: Held to Calvinist, or particular, election.
• Separate Baptists (18th Century): Emerged during the Great Awakening in the American colonies, focusing on personal spiritual experience, often practicing more than two ordinances (e.g., foot washing, laying on of hands).

Key Beliefs and Practices

• Congregationalism: Each church was independent, allowing for individual theological determination.
• Religious Freedom: Advocated for full religious liberty, not merely toleration.
• Distinct Lifestyle: Early Separatist Baptists often practiced nonconformity to "the world," with some later branches emphasizing strict separation from both non-believers and other Christians who did not hold to similar standards.

Legacy

While early Separatists often faced exile or imprisonment (like Helwys), their movement persisted and grew significantly, particularly in the American South, and forms the basis for many modern Baptist denominations.

My point was just because Mr. Philpot was right about some things, does not mean he should be accepted as right on other things.

The Baptist Separatist movement began 200 years before Mr. Philpot. Separatists from the Church of England began 200 years before that. (1400's)

General Baptists formed decades before Particular Baptists.

And Mr. Philpot was wrong about Ephesians 3:19. To know the love of Christ does NOT mean to understand the gospel and the demonstrated love of Jesus by dying for the unjust. Rather the phase here means to be known by Christ and to know Christ, which is our condition in Christ, and that condition surpasses anything we may have known about Christ.